Southern California -- this just in

Estranged husband arrested in San Diego student's slaying

February 19, 2012 | 9:21
am

The estranged husband of a San Diego City College student found slain in a campus bathroom in October 2010 has been arrested in Tijuana, San Diego police announced Sunday.

Armando Perez, 39, was arrested on a murder charge after a 16-month investigation by San Diego police, the U.S. Marshals Service and Mexican authorities. He was arrested at 3:30 a.m. by Tijuana police on Avenida Revolucion.

"We've never stopped looking for him," said San Diego Police Lt. Kevin Rooney. "We were close a couple of times but this time everything fell into place."

Perez, who claims dual citizenship in the United States and Mexico, will be sent to Mexico City for an extradition hearing.

Diana Gonzalez, 19, was found stabbed to death in a men's bathroom on the night of Oct. 12, 2010, at San Diego City College, where she was a nursing student. Perez was thought to have fled to Tijuana, where he has family.

Gonzalez's family has criticized the San Diego district attorney's office for not pursuing a domestic violence charge against Perez after he allegedly beat and raped his wife in the weeks before her killing. The couple had a daughter, now 2 years old.